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Introduction

Traditional 3D artists spend hours, days, and even weeks creating images with photorealism. If you're new to the world of 3D graphics, you may find that your creations are stiff and have unnatural lighting that makes all of your objects appear to be plastic-coated. However, the 3D capabilities in Photoshop CS4 Extended allow you to create sophisticated, precision 3D images with what I like to call "more ease and less cheese." The following tutorial covers the most essential things you need to know for working with 3D images in Photoshop CS4.

There are a wide variety of real-world applications for 3D images across many industries. We're all familiar with incredible special effects now routinely created with 3D graphics in movies and television shows, but 3D images are becoming commonplace in the fields of architecture, medicine, product design, mechanical contracting, urban planning, law, transportation, insurance, and aviation, among others. For instance, architects and city planners can create models of buildings, rooms, or public spaces to simulate the feel of their finished designs. Doctors and others in the medical professions can create still or animated 3D graphics for using in teaching, as well as to illustrate specific procedures or medical conditions. Likewise, 3D graphics can be invaluable as aids in the courtroom, to illustrate concepts and events that might otherwise be too esoteric or difficult to communicate. Finally, 3D imagery is indispensable in new product design, for everything from toys to cell phones, large-scale green energy solutions, and beyond.

If you weren't convinced before, you may be now, that it's worth your while to spend some time to learn some of the exciting new 3D features in Photoshop CS4 Extended. And did I mention that it's also fun?